The First XV v Bingham

Smythe hat-trick leads Gainsborough fightback at Bingham

Gainsborough's 1st XV fought back from 12–0 down to claim a 43–26 bonus-point victory away at Bingham on Saturday, 31 October. In lovely conditions, the visitors recovered from a difficult start to run in seven tries, with Kieron Smythe leading the way with a hat-trick.

Bingham made the early running and built a 12-point advantage, leaving Gainsborough with work to do. Steve Howse opened the visitors' account, providing the breakthrough as the lads began to turn the afternoon around.

Gainsborough responded strongly to the early setback and worked their way into the lead before half-time. Having given themselves a foothold, they carried the contest back to their hosts and ensured the opening deficit would not define their afternoon.

Bingham were far from finished and came back with two tries of their own, keeping Gainsborough under pressure. The visitors had to respond again, and did so with further scores to move clear and secure the win.

Smythe's three tries were the headline contribution in a seven-try return. Daniel Chadwick added a brace, while Harry Beresford and Howse each crossed once. Brad Beresford and Smythe shared the conversion duties, helping Gainsborough reach their 43-point total.

It was a rewarding afternoon for Gainsborough, who showed the character to recover from a slow start and answer Bingham's renewed challenge. Seven tries, a bonus point and an away win made for a strong return from a competitive contest.

Stan Hardy was named Man of the Match after a busy performance at No. 8. His repeated runs from the base of the scrum helped open up play and gave Gainsborough a valuable attacking option as they fought back to secure the bonus-point win.